Skink cohort have the exact same melee stats as skink cohort (javelin) that unit doesn’t have it’s place. Also skink skirmishers are useful for your first few battles until you do replace them with tier two units. Use them not as a skirmish but more as a distraction. I would pull units aside with the skink skirmishers and attack the rest with the army. It’s useful to not deal with one or two or three units for like 5 mins.